The disclosures herein relate generally to computer systems and more particularly to cooling such systems.
As the value and use of information continue to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Variations in chassis location along with variations in chassis form factor warrant the need for multiple fan shrouds. Thermal inefficiencies are inherent with current shroud technology. Increased fan speeds are needed to cool systems but result in increased noise.
Currently, plastic shrouds are used to direct airflow across a heatsink for cooling purposes. However, several shroud designs are required to accommodate the various chassis in production by any manufacturer. This results in multiple design changes and increased manufacturing costs.
Therefore, what is needed is a duct that directs airflow between a system fan and a processor heatsink, which can be used in a variety of chassis form factors.
One embodiment, accordingly, provides a movable cooling system including a flexible and variable length duct, a first shroud attached to a first terminal end of the duct and a second shroud attached to a second terminal end of the duct.
A principal advantage of this embodiment is that the flexible and variable length duct permits movement of the first and second shrouds to various positions within the chassis.